Seven La Sierra STEM students land Edison International scholarships

The La Sierra University students were recognized in May during an annual scholarship awards ceremony for their receipt of $2,143 each toward tuition costs in the coming school year. They were selected from among a pool of applicants following the university’s receipt of a $15,000 grant from the energy conglomerate. To date, the university has been awarded a total of $105,000 since the 2014-15 school year from Edison International’s STEM Scholars program for supporting students’ career interests in science, technology, engineering and math.

“It was an absolute honor to be selected for this amazing scholarship, and I am truly excited to use it to aid my continued pursuit towards my computer science degree,” said Morgan Williams who will be a junior in the next school year. The Loma Linda resident aims to earn a doctorate in her field and work to break down barriers and stereotypes often associated with technology careers.

“I plan on furthering my education all the way to a Ph.D. and then using that, and any other work experience I garner on this journey, to ultimately implement a fun, educational  program to expose young, minority women and girls to STEM at an early age and to disassociate the somewhat negative connotation of being a ‘nerd’ or a ‘tech geek’ in order to drastically reduce the gender gap and lack of diversity in my field of study,” Williams said.

In the near term, she is searching for a virtual software engineering internship this summer and planning a bit of travel to visit family.

Other scholarship recipients this year include computer science majors Sunny Zhou, Cody Johnson, Deborah Kim, and Jose Campos, and mathematics majors TongTong Zhao and Cole Mupas.

The range of criteria to receive an Edison International STEM scholarship includes demonstration of financial need, enrollment in a STEM major, a minimum 3.0 grade point average, and demonstration of campus involvement, among other benchmarks.

“There has never been a time with a greater need for qualified STEM professionals,” said Dr. Marvin Payne, chair of La Sierra’s chemistry and biochemistry department. “We are proud of our graduates from diverse backgrounds who go on to STEM careers and make a difference in their communities. At the same time, students have increasing challenges affording an education and sometimes the barriers are too large. We are grateful for the Edison Scholarships that have helped our students develop a vision for their careers while assisting their education in a tangible way.”

Edison International also offers STEM scholarships to eligible high school seniors. It has awarded more than $11.1 million in scholarships to 670 students through the Edison Scholars program since 2006, the company says.